Posted inEducation, Community

Annual Art Competition

Leslie by Leslie

On November 1, 2019, students of the La Joya District are going to share their holiday Christmas spirit and their present their artistic abilities in this year’s annual Art Competition of 2019.

Students will need to create their original artwork in a five by seven greeting card, following the theme called “Shine Bright and Show your Holiday Pride.” 

The greeting cards will be published and printed throughout the district web page for everyone to see, and the cards will be mailed out to the teachers and staff from the La Joya I.S.D.

Carter students will compete within their grade level and from other schools in the district. Competitors should submit their artworks to the art teacher, Nilda Valle, by Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, by 4:00 p.m.

The school superintendent, Gisela Saenz, and the administration of the La Joya ISD will be the ones judging and selecting the top five students from the district as the top finalists. They will post their artworks on the Facebook page, and the artworks with the most likes will be the winner. The winners will be announced at the La Joya ISD Facebook page on November 14, 2019.

The winner of 2019 will be recognized and receive a special gift

 Students of Carter who want to participate in the art competition should talk to the art teacher Nilda Valle for more information.

Posted inEducation

Teacher Ramiro Garza’s Words Will Make You Rethink Life

Amry L. by Amry L.

“I don’t even know what fifty is supposed to feel like,” said Garza as he spoke to his 7th-period students, as they were asking him why he looks so young for his age.

Ramiro Garza, a U.S. History teacher at Jimmy Carter Early College High School, celebrated his 50th birthday. He currently teaches more than ninety students, helping them learn the country’s history and how the bible has influenced it, and how it plays into the oppression of particular groups of people.

Posted inEducation, Health, Culture

A step towards health

Itza R. by Itza R.

Type One Diabetes is responsible for taking 700,000 American lives every year and is the 7th leading cause of death in the nation. A statistic registry done by the UTRGV Border Health Office found that 17.8% of the population in Hidalgo County has been diagnosed with diabetes, and it affects a majority of the people throughout the rest of the Rio Grande Valley as well.

As a response to this issue Diabetes Awareness walks were started in the La Joya ISD by the Wellness Department and are coordinated by Marissa Saenz.

On November 12, the La Joya Stadium will have a Diabetes Awareness Walk, where members of the community will gather to raise awareness for this prominent community issue.

Many school organizations will volunteer and attend the walk, including our own Leo’s Club. “I find it important to attend the walk because it shares awareness that diabetes is the second leading cause of death here in the valley for Hispanics, and I don’t think enough of us know that,” said Yesenia Torres the coordinator of Leo’s Club at Carter.

Posted inEducation

Calling future dentist Victor Saldivar to Boston, Massachusetts

Marissa L. by Marissa L.

Victor Saldivar, a junior, was invited by the Congress of Future Medical Leaders (CFML) to receive an Award of Excellence for his academic achievements. Victor received this letter in September and has planned to travel to Boston, Massachusetts to attend a medical session on June 24 to 26.

The CFML is a program that exposes high schoolers interested in pursuing a career as doctors or medical scientists to prominent leaders in medicine and mentors them become future medical leaders.

Victor is an aspiring dentist and has decided to attend the meeting to strengthen his medical abilities and his background in medicine. At the session, Victor will get to meet winners of the noble prize, award-winning young inventors and scientists, and medical school deans. He received a personal invitation from Mario Capecchi, PhD, the science director for the CFML.

Victor will also view surgical procedures and ask questions to the surgeon in real-time for them to answer.

In the aftermath of this congress, Victor will be shared across the local RGV news stations and be sent a certificate of his acceptance of the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence.

“I feel like its a great opportunity to receive and I am very honored to be a delegate for the Congress,” said Victor.

“I’m so excited to go to this Congress and I can’t wait to see what I get to learn while I’m over there especially because it interests me and goes with what I want to be when I grow up.”

Posted inEducation

La Joya ISD opts into Edgenuity

Jorge J. by Jorge J.

The school district and Jimmy Carter are placing emphasis on the adoption of Edgenuity as a supplemental teaching  material. Edgenuity is designed to provide remediation and acceleration for students who need more help or want to develop their skills in certain academic areas. Carter students can start practicing for their PSAT, SAT, and ACT that take place this year.

The AVID teacher, Felomina Bangsalud, said,  “Programs like Edgenuity are self-motivated practice avenues. These avenues help students review to achieve excellent scores to be accepted in a University of their choice.”

Edgenuity is a program that helps high school students with their ACT, PSAT, SAT, and the TSI.

Students like Nessly Garcia and Jorge Trevino passed their TSI exams because of the help from programs like Edgenuity.

Nessly said, “Bangsalud told me the districts bought a program for students to practe for exams.”

She later mentioned how she would take notes on the English section of Edgenuity and it helped her pass her TSI.

Posted inEducation

Winter Formal: Will you dance with me?

Susan S. by Susan S.

.A.F.E. Club is sponsoring and organizing a Winter Formal for December 18.

After a year without,  the T.A.F.E. Club decided to take it into their own hands and sponsor it themselves. 

Club sponsor, Vanessa Brown, said, “We are happy to announce we will be taking charge of the Winter Formal this year with new ideas.” 

The Winter Formal is a dance, where students dress elegantly. The sponsors provide music to dance to and snacks to buy while having fun with your friends. Concessions will include pickles, hot-Cheetos and cheese, candy bars, drinks, and others.

“We also have our nominations going on. Including all grade levels, there will be a Snow King and Queen, Snow Prince and Princess, Snow Duke and Dutchess, and Lord and Lady,” said Brown.

The royal court will be selected based on who can raise the most money by the deadline.